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The statewide teachers union, Oregon Education Association, is offering guidance to teachers on the increasingly popular practice of students' opting out of standardized tests.The fall 2014 issue of Today's OEA, a magazine for OEA members, has a two-page spread with questions and answers about what teachers can and cannot do to support families who opt out. Under Oregon law, parents can keep their ...
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The state’s biggest teachers union believes in seniority— just not for its own employees.

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Becky Corkill got laid off May 15.
Corkill, 53, works
for the Oregon Education Association, the state’s biggest teachers
union. She drove from her Klamath Falls home to the OEA’s Portl
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Union groups plan to descend on the Oregon State Capitol on Monday, but they can't seem to agree on what to call the rally—or why they're having it.The SEIU 503, which represents state workers, advertises the Presidents Day event as “A Day of Action for Oregon’s Future.” (Fliers for the rally were handed out at an Occupy Portland event Thursday night.)But the Oregon Education Association—which ...
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In the ongoing flap over whether the Oregon Legislature will refer certain "fixes" to Measure 76, it's worth noting that the group most concerned about referring those questions to voters—the Nature Conservancy—has a strong interest in preserving the status quo.As WW previously reported, there was strong disagreement last summer about Measure 76 before voters approved that state constitutional ...
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When the Oregon election results come out tonight, one of the biggest winners will be someone who's not even on the ballot. Mark Wiener, the political consultant of choice for Democrats and those who want to raise taxes, has collected big bucks this election cycle to provide strategy to the following people and organizations: 1) Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber; 2) The ...
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When the Oregon election results come out tonight, one of the biggest winners will be someone who’s not even on the ballot. Mark Wiener, the political consultant of choice for Democrats and those who want to raise taxes, has collected big bucks this election cycle to provide strategy to the following people and organizations: 1) Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber; 2) The ...
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There's a new twist in the debate over Senate Bill 767, a measure that would tighten rules around Oregon's charter schools such as the online Oregon Connections Academy based in the Scio district. Today, Anne Marie Gurney, a parent of one of the 2,500 students at that online charter — which faces closure if SB767 passes, filed a complaint (PDF) with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. In ...
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The one part of the Oregon economy that's looking healthy these days is the campaign business. While there are only two measures on the ballot, unions and big business are shelling out like it's 1999 again (or some other year when we were not an economic basket case). Common Cause Oregon has thoughtfully provided data on who's giving to both the proponents of Measures 66 and 67, which would ...
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